ASUP: Polytechnic Lecturers Threaten Strike

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) threatened to embark on a strike action if the Federal Government does not urgently address the various industrial issues plaguing the sector.

Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP) has lamented the low budgetary allocation to the polytechnic sector.

President of ASUP, Comrade Usman Yusuf Dutse, who addressed newsmen on in Abuja ahead of the 2016 World Workers’ Day, declared that the situation leaves the union with no choice but to embark on an industrial action.

He said the union was disturbed that since the suspension of the protracted strike in 2014, none of the core issues of demand has been addressed by the Federal Government.

According to him, the lecturers have been reluctant to take appropriate actions to address the situation because it believes in dialogue and have always practiced responsible unionism

He said: “However, we are now being pushed to resort to extreme measures in resolving industrial dispute and we shall act accordingly. We have decided to place this position before government and the Nigerian public for the benefit of the sector and to challenge government to act now in order to avert another industrial disharmony in our polytechnics.

We are aware that the issues between government and ASUP have lingered for years. We are also cognisant of the fact that this government came to power about one year ago but then government is a continuum.